"Building," in
addition to its ordinary meaning, includes any watercraft, aircraft,
trailer, sleeping car, railroad car or other structure or vehicle or any
building with a valid certificate of occupancy. Where a building
consists of separate units, such as, but not limited to separate
apartments, offices or rented rooms, any unit not occupied by the actor
is, in addition to being a part of such building, a separate building.

Commentary:
The statutory definition of "building" encompasses the ordinary meaning
of the word "building." "A 'building,' according to Black's Law
Dictionary, is a 'structure designed for habitation, shelter, storage,
trade, manufacture, religion, business, education, and the like.'"
State v. Perez, 78 Conn. App. 610, 636 (2003), cert. denied, 271
Conn. 901 (2004); State v. Ruocco, 151 Conn. App. 7332, 752-55
(2014) (a stand-alone storage shed is a building); State v. Domian, 35 Conn. App. 714, 724-25
(1994), aff'd on other grounds, 235 Conn. 679 (1996) (an empty,
vandalized or abandoned building is still a building within the
statutory definition). It is also expansive, including more than the
ordinary meaning of the word encompasses. State v. Baker, 195
Conn. 598, 600-603 (1985) (statutory definition clearly includes an
automobile).

Whether an area of a
building that is open to the public is a separate "building" depends on
whether the public would be invited into that area or not. State v.
Hafford, 252 Conn. 274, 311-14, cert. denied, 531 U.S. 855, 121 S.Ct.
136, 148 L.Ed.2d 89 (2000) (a utility room behind a gas station was a
separate building); State v. Russell, 218 Conn. 273, 280 (1991)
(area of grocery store containing merchandise of a high value enclosed
by a tall metal folding gate from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. when the store was
open 24 hours was not a separate building from the store); State v.
Thomas, 210 Conn. 199, 205-206 (1989) (area behind the counter at a
convenience store was not a separate building); State v. Stagnitta,
74 Conn. App. 607, 615-17, cert. denied, 263 Conn. 902 (2003) (manager's
office in restaurant was a separate building); see also State v.
Cochran, 191 Conn. 180, 184-88 (1983) (although defendant was
invited into the residence, the locked bedrooms of other tenants were
separate buildings).